Death and the Girl Next Door Blog Tour Stop: Excerpt and Giveaway

Alright everyone, it’s time to start talking Death, Darynda and her young adult debut.

Today I have the immense pleasure of hosting the Death and the Girl Next Door Blog Tour.

I have an excerpt to share that will give you a glimpse into Ms. Jones’ “Darklight” world. Hold on, we’re headed to an amazing new world…

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I laughed to myself and headed toward the back of our favorite and pretty much only hangout. It sat a mere block from our alma mater, Riley High, and we practically lived in our corner booth. I ducked past the snack counter and into a very dark back hall. Judging by the boxes lining the narrow passage, I’d be taking my life into my hands if I risked a journey to the little senorita’s room without illumination, so I ran my hand along a paneled wall. Where would I be if I were a light switch? Just as the tips of my fingers found the switch, a silhouette stepped out of the shadows and brushed past me. I startled with a gasp.

“Excuse me,” I said, placing a hand over my heart.

“Sorry.” The guy paused slightly before continuing on his way, and in that instant, I saw the makings of utter perfection: a long arm with shadowy curves that dipped around the fluid lines of muscle; a tall, wide shoulder; dark hair that curled playfully over an ear and led to a strong, masculine jaw. Something inside me lurched, craving a closer look at his face, but he walked by too fast and the hall was too dark for me to catch anything else.

After a couple of seconds, I realized my hand had brushed against his arm. It was enough to send a vision crashing into me, like the flash of a nuclear bomb, bright and unforgiving. Tamping down my surprise— I hadn’t had a vision in a very long time— I pressed shaking fingers to my forehead to wait out the familiar storm, to see what treasures would wash ashore in the aftermath.

Yet the things I saw were unreal, impossible, and certainly not of this world: A desolate landscape lay before me with scorched clouds and a roiling, violet sky. The air was stagnant and so impossibly thick, breathing it took effort. Then I heard the clanging of metal. I turned to watch in horror as a being, a boy of no more than sixteen or seventeen, fierce and somehow not quite human, struggled with a dark, monstrous beast. The boy’s arms corded as tendon and muscle strained against the weight of the sword he wielded. He slashed again and again, but the monster was fast, with razor-like talons and sharp, gleaming teeth, and the boy knew what those teeth felt like when they sank into flesh, knew the blinding pain that accompanied defeat. But he also knew the power he himself wielded, the raw strength that saturated every molecule of his body.

Another herculean effort landed a thrust in the monster’s shoulder and continued through its thick chest. The monster sank under the boy’s sword with a guttural scream. The boy looked on while the beast writhed in pain, watched it grow still as the life drained out of it, and somewhere in the back of the boy’s mind, he allowed himself to register the burning of his lungs as he struggled to fill them with air.

Blood trickled between his fingers, down the length of his blade, and dripped to the powdery earth beneath his feet. I followed the trail of blood up to three huge gashes across his chest. Evidently three of the monster’s claws had met their mark, laying the flesh of its enemy open. I gasped and covered my mouth with both hands as the boy spun toward me, sword at the ready. Squinting against the low sun, I could almost make out his features, but the vision evaporated before I got the chance. A heartbeat later, I was back in the dark hallway, gasping for air, one palm pressed against my temple, the other against the wall for balance.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fought the memory of the vision, the fear that summoned the taste of bile in the back of my throat, the feel of blood dripping down the boy’s arm.

Now, don’t run away; keep scrolling/reading because the tour is offering some awesome goodies for you to win!

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Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight #1) By Darynda Jones Expected Publication October 2nd, 2012 St. Martin’s Press 320 pages Young Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a RITA®, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

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I’m actually a member of Darynda Jones’ Street Team, a Grimlet if you will, so I get to offer two giveaways for you to enter!! Who doesn’t love giveaways?!?! (Thank you, Dana, for all your help with the tour!)

The first giveaway is for a copy of Death and the Girl Next Door – open to US and CAN only – INT homeys check back here tomorrow 😉

NOTE: WordPress blogs don’t allow for GFC followers so if you would like to follow me for additional contest entries, add me to your reader via RSS or follow me via LinkyFollowers or Networked Blogs. That would be spectacular!!! Thanks!!!

About Kristin

Kristin has to ensure she gets her minimal requirement of "happily ever after" books in between those books that contain cliffhangers and never-ending story arcs. It's for her family's sake. When not reading, she's homeshooling her 10-year old son, watching cartoons on TV, or taking a nap.

OH, yeah, I guess I should make a note that I don’t have GFC and get an obvious button for Linkyfollowers – OOPS! I didn’t actually run through the contest’s options – MY BAD and great catch!! Thanks a ton!!!!

I love Darynda SO MUCH! I can’t wait for both Death and the Girl Next door & Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet. She’s my favorite author and I wished she had more books out, there is just no such thing as too much Darynda.

I love Darynda’s writing so much that I will often choose to reread one of her books rather than start a new series. No matter how many times I read her books, they never stop being entertaining and I can NEVER get enough. I’m like a … uhm……… IDK……… whatever the word for it is when you stalk an author’s work lol.

I haven’t read the Charley Davidson books yet, but the covers get me every time, especially the last one with the sandals and the white pants. I know I’ve got to get started, but I only review MG and YA, so I don’t have a lot of time for adult series. But I want to read this one. Especially that last one!

I havent read this series. However, the excerpt caught my attention. The storyline is both unique and entertaining. My favorite things about YA books are the innocence, excitement, and intensity of the characters and their first time experiences.

I’m so super excited for this one! I love her adult series so I’m sure I will love this one as well. I enjoy YA because I get to be a teenager again which I do miss often! Thanks for the excerpt and giveaways!

The Blogs I Read…

FTC Disclosure

I review books. I'm not paid for my reviews in any way, shape or form. I do get books for free in exchange for my reviews but no one wants to pay me for my opinion, I'm not that important. And my opinion won't be influenced, no matter how much Prozac I take. Besides, a lot of the books I review I buy... with my husband's hard earned money.

Some links on this site may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase on any of these sites via my link, I receive a small commission. Any commissions received are used for giveaways and costs of running the blog. Wow, that was a serious moment...